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Classic Structure

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Before

Intent on preserving her home's architectural details and character, Ashley Gilbreath wanted to salvage and restore. "I reused what I could and replicated anything new to be as close to the original as possible," she says. "If I'd wanted a brand-new house, I would have bought one." With extensive structural rebuilding, she brought back the beauty.

Here's how she made the transformation.

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Salvaged and Repainted

Photo by Laurey W. Glenn

While many of the porches' floorboards and railings had rotted and needed to be replaced, the front door (including sidelights) and all of the front windows and siding needed only cosmetic maintenance. The ebony door was restained, windows reglazed, and siding repainted with Sherwin-Williams' Palais White. "We had to pressure wash and scrape a bunch!" says Ashley.

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Restored the Second Level

Photo by Laurey W. Glenn

"A contractor had convinced a previous owner to put solar panels on the outside," says Ashley. After the unattractive panels were removed, the exterior wall just needed to be patched and painted. Using old photos as inspiration, Ashley also had skilled carpenters copy the home's original second-story porch.